diff --git a/actions/apistatusesretweet.php b/actions/apistatusesretweet.php
index 2bc9092ba6..4832da1823 100644
--- a/actions/apistatusesretweet.php
+++ b/actions/apistatusesretweet.php
@@ -78,42 +78,6 @@ class ApiStatusesRetweetAction extends ApiAuthAction
 
         $this->user = $this->auth_user;
 
-        if ($this->user->id == $this->original->profile_id) {
-            // TRANS: Client error displayed trying to repeat an own notice through the API.
-            $this->clientError(_('Cannot repeat your own notice.'),
-                               400, $this->format);
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        // Is it OK to repeat that notice (general enough scope)?
-
-        if ($this->original->scope != Notice::SITE_SCOPE &&
-            $this->original->scope != Notice::PUBLIC_SCOPE) {
-            $this->clientError(_('You may not repeat a private notice.'),
-                               403,
-                               $this->format);
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        $profile = $this->user->getProfile();
-
-        // Can the profile actually see that notice?
-
-        if (!$this->original->inScope($profile)) {
-            $this->clientError(_('No access to that notice.'),
-                               403,
-                               $this->format);
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        if ($profile->hasRepeated($id)) {
-            // TRANS: Client error displayed trying to re-repeat a notice through the API.
-            $this->clientError(_('Already repeated that notice.'),
-                               400, $this->format);
-            return false;
-        }
-
-
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/actions/repeat.php b/actions/repeat.php
index 4201a4ce95..44c57456fa 100644
--- a/actions/repeat.php
+++ b/actions/repeat.php
@@ -73,20 +73,6 @@ class RepeatAction extends Action
             return false;
         }
 
-        // Is it OK to repeat that notice (general enough scope)?
-
-        if ($this->notice->scope != Notice::SITE_SCOPE &&
-            $this->notice->scope != Notice::PUBLIC_SCOPE) {
-            $this->clientError(_('You may not repeat a private notice.'),
-                               403);
-        }
-
-        if ($this->user->id == $this->notice->profile_id) {
-            // TRANS: Client error displayed when trying to repeat an own notice.
-            $this->clientError(_('You cannot repeat your own notice.'));
-            return false;
-        }
-
         $token  = $this->trimmed('token-'.$id);
 
         if (empty($token) || $token != common_session_token()) {
@@ -94,21 +80,6 @@ class RepeatAction extends Action
             return false;
         }
 
-        $profile = $this->user->getProfile();
-
-        // Can the profile actually see that notice?
-
-        if (!$this->notice->inScope($profile)) {
-            $this->clientError(_('No access to that notice.'), 403);
-        }
-
-
-        if ($profile->hasRepeated($id)) {
-            // TRANS: Client error displayed when trying to repeat an already repeated notice.
-            $this->clientError(_('You already repeated that notice.'));
-            return false;
-        }
-
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/classes/Notice.php b/classes/Notice.php
index b5eafb0ffa..81ccd8d74f 100644
--- a/classes/Notice.php
+++ b/classes/Notice.php
@@ -350,13 +350,31 @@ class Notice extends Memcached_DataObject
 
             $repeat = Notice::staticGet('id', $repeat_of);
 
-            if (!empty($repeat) &&
-                $repeat->scope != Notice::SITE_SCOPE &&
+            if (empty($repeat)) {
+                throw new ClientException(_('Cannot repeat; original notice is missing or deleted.'));
+            }
+
+            if ($profile->id == $repeat->profile_id) {
+                // TRANS: Client error displayed when trying to repeat an own notice.
+                throw new ClientException(_('You cannot repeat your own notice.'));
+            }
+
+            if ($repeat->scope != Notice::SITE_SCOPE &&
                 $repeat->scope != Notice::PUBLIC_SCOPE) {
+                // TRANS: Client error displayed when trying to repeat a non-public notice.
                 throw new ClientException(_('Cannot repeat a private notice.'), 403);
             }
 
-            // XXX: Check for access...?
+            if (!$repeat->inScope($profile)) {
+                // The generic checks above should cover this, but let's be sure!
+                // TRANS: Client error displayed when trying to repeat a notice you cannot access.
+                throw new ClientException(_('Cannot repeat a notice you cannot read.'), 403);
+            }
+
+            if ($profile->hasRepeated($repeat->id)) {
+                // TRANS: Client error displayed when trying to repeat an already repeated notice.
+                throw new ClientException(_('You already repeated that notice.'));
+            }
 
             $notice->repeat_of = $repeat_of;
         } else {
@@ -1567,6 +1585,15 @@ class Notice extends Memcached_DataObject
         return $location;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Convenience function for posting a repeat of an existing message.
+     *
+     * @param int $repeater_id: profile ID of user doing the repeat
+     * @param string $source: posting source key, eg 'web', 'api', etc
+     * @return Notice
+     *
+     * @throws Exception on failure or permission problems
+     */
     function repeat($repeater_id, $source)
     {
         $author = Profile::staticGet('id', $this->profile_id);
diff --git a/lib/command.php b/lib/command.php
index 35d0702684..aaad577761 100644
--- a/lib/command.php
+++ b/lib/command.php
@@ -537,44 +537,15 @@ class RepeatCommand extends Command
     {
         $notice = $this->getNotice($this->other);
 
-        if($this->user->id == $notice->profile_id)
-        {
-            // TRANS: Error text shown when trying to repeat an own notice.
-            $channel->error($this->user, _('Cannot repeat your own notice.'));
-            return;
-        }
-
-        // Is it OK to repeat that notice (general enough scope)?
-
-        if ($notice->scope != Notice::SITE_SCOPE &&
-            $notice->scope != Notice::PUBLIC_SCOPE) {
-            $channel->error($this->user, _('You may not repeat a private notice.'));
-        }
-
-        $profile = $this->user->getProfile();
-
-        // Can the profile actually see that notice?
-
-        if (!$notice->inScope($profile)) {
-            $channel->error($this->user, _('You have no access to that notice.'));
-        }
-
-        if ($profile->hasRepeated($notice->id)) {
-            // TRANS: Error text shown when trying to repeat an notice that was already repeated by the user.
-            $channel->error($this->user, _('Already repeated that notice.'));
-            return;
-        }
-
-        $repeat = $notice->repeat($this->user->id, $channel->source);
-
-        if ($repeat) {
+        try {
+            $repeat = $notice->repeat($this->user->id, $channel->source());
+            $recipient = $notice->getProfile();
 
             // TRANS: Message given having repeated a notice from another user.
             // TRANS: %s is the name of the user for which the notice was repeated.
             $channel->output($this->user, sprintf(_('Notice from %s repeated.'), $recipient->nickname));
-        } else {
-            // TRANS: Error text shown when repeating a notice fails with an unknown reason.
-            $channel->error($this->user, _('Error repeating notice.'));
+        } catch (Exception $e) {
+            $channel->error($this->user, $e->getMessage());
         }
     }
 }